Earthworking implement



Nov. 11, 1952 J. R. CLAYTON EARTHWORKING IMPLEMENT 2 SHEETS-SHEET lFiled Jan. 3o, 19218 OZ /O/ aan Jo/n @n/gn 4W @uw @ww ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 11, 1952 J, R, CLAYTON 2,617,341

ERTHWORKING IMPLEMENT Filed Jan. 30, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Armen/nsfPatented Nove 11, 1952 UN 1 TED STATES TENT OFFICE ton, executrix ofsaid John R.

ceased Clayton, de-

Application January 30, 1948, Serial No. 5,223

v1 claim.

This invention relates to a farm implement and it has to do particularlywith an implement for cultivating the soil by means of rotary elementsfor cutting and pulverizing the soil.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for cutting and pulverizing the earth. Briefly, the machineprovides improved. rotary tilling mechanism which can be controlled bythe operator as to the depth of cut and to this end rotary earth cuttingand pulverizing elements are provided, the rotation of which is reverseto that of the propelling wheels of the machine.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a machine constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View with a cover removed showing therotary cultivating elements.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View showing driving mechanism for the rotarycultivating elements.

The machine comprises a suitable frame I upon which is mounted an engine2, preferably an internal combustion engine, having an air cleaner 3 forthe entrance of air and having a driving shaft 4 preferably enclosed asshown at The traction wheels 8 are at the forward end of the framestructure and are driven by the engine by means not shown. To the rearof the frame (Fig. 4) is attached a housing I5 having a shaft Iii and ashaft Il journalled therein. These shafts project to both sides of thehousing and the shaft i receives the earth cutting blades generallyindicated at 2S and the shaft I 'i receives the earth pulverizing bladesgenerally illustrated at 2i. The housing i5 is of reduced width in itsintermediate portion as shown at 22 in order to accommodate the heads ofthe pulverizing blades 2|. A frame member 23 extends rearwardly from thehousing I to which it is attached and it carries vertically adjustablewheel 24 which may be mounted on a rod 25. The wheel 2t may be raisedand lowered by means of hydraulic jack 25, operable by a handle 2l. Thedetails of the jack are not shown.

A bracket 323 is secured to the housing I5 and it, in turn, receives asuitable handle 3i by means of which an operator may walk behind themachine and aid in manipulating and controlling the same. There is abracket 32 also attached to the housing, this bracket being fordetachably receiving earth cultivating machines such as toothedcultivators (not shown) A shaft 62 which is driven by the engine isconnected to shaft 63 journalled in and extending substantially throughthe housing I5. The shaft 63 has a worm 64 thereon which meshes with 5aworm gear 65 on the shaft I6 and a worm 66 thereon which meshes with aworm gear 61 on shaft I'I. Operation of the shaft 63, therefore, rotatesthe shafts I6 and Il. The worms 64 and 66 have threads such that theshafts I6 and Il, and therefore, the rotary tillers 20 and 2| areoperated in a direction reverse to the operation of the traction wheels8. Y

The tractor may be equipped with a blower mechanism which includes ablower fan 8| in housing driven by the engine through a chain 'I6operating over sprocket 82. The outletfor the fan is indicated at 90. Ahopper 86 for material to be blown may have a feed screw (not shown)driven by gears 83 and 84.

As the machine moves along the ground, an operator Walking behind thesame may grip the handle 3| which may be equipped with suitable controlssuch as a lever |00, a lever IUI and a lever |02 by which the engine,steering and clutches may be controlled.

The ripper blades on the shaft I 6 are of simple construction andpurposely so designed in order that any given blade may be used at anyplace for repair or replacement purposes. As shown in Fig. 3, there arefour ripper blade sections on each side of the housing I5, and eachsection comprises two flat blade members crossing each other at rightangles and each offset in its center portion so that the blade membersinteriit. For example, the two outside blade members are shown at 2M andZlib offset respectively at 20c and 20d. The other four sections on eachside of the housing are the same with spacer sleeves |65 between eachsection. The blades are keyed to the shaft I6 and the assembly is heldtogether by a plate or washer I 06 and a cap screw |01 which is threadedinto the shaft. The structure is the same on both sides of the housingand the same reference characters are applied to like parts.

The pulverizing members on the shaft I1 each comprise a member with fourarms 2 la, 2|b, 2| c, 2Id, with the members angularly disposed relativeto each other in equal increments. These members are keyed to the shaftI 1 and held thereon by cap or washers I0 held by a cap screw |II|. Eachindividual member of the pulverizer has a hub portion. These hubportions have some axial extent and are abutted up against each other.Each of the arms of the pulverizing unit have enlarged heads 2|e and theheads are so relatively positioned as shownwin Fig. 3, that theypreferably engage the earth between two rips made by the arms 20. Asshown in Fig. 3 each head has three prongs or cutter elements 2|fthereon. The term pulverizing is used in a descriptive sense and not ina limiting sense. The extent to which the members 2| break or pulverizethe soil depends upon the type and condition of the soil and otherfactors.

A covering |25 is preferably disposed over the rotary tilling elementsto prevent throwing the soil.

In use, the machine is set into operation and it will drive itselfacross a eld with the operator walking behind it conveniently with oneor both hands on the member 3|. In this action, the ripper blades rotatein a direction contrary to the direction of movement of the machine, asshown by the arrow in Fig. 1. These blades penetrate into the ground andrip the same thus preparing the ground to be engaged and pulver-ized bythe reversely operating pulverizing unit 2|. The depth of the cut of theripper blades and the depth of projection of the pulverizing blades intothe earth may be regulated by the raising and the lowering of the groundengaging wheel 24 which is done by the jack 26. By lowering the wheel 24the machine may be propelled without cultivating the earth.

I claim:

In a power operated earth working machine having ground engaging wheels,a pair of power driven shafts disposed transversely to the direction ofmovement of the machine, one shaft being positioned forward of the otherand both being driven with a direction of rotation opposite that of theground engaging wheels, a plurality of ground ripper blades mounted onthe forward '4 shaft and disposed in spaced relationship, the bladesbeing arranged to make narrow rip-like cuts in the earth, a plurality ofpulverizing blades mounted on the rear shaft, said pulverizing bladesbeing disposed in spaced relationship and in staggered relationshiprelative to the ripper blades, each pulverizing blade having a headportion for engaging and working a strip of earth between two rip-likecuts made by the ripper blades.

JOHN R. CLAYTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 471,209 Cordes Mar. 22, 1892948,820 Mosher Feb. 8, 1910 1,265,491 Obitts May 7, 1918 1,292,391Dougherty Jan. 21, 1919 1,778,334 Pedersen Oct. 14, 1930 2,015,587Bready Sept. 24, 1935 2,063,769 Suelow et al. Dec. 8, 1936 2,144,275Scholtz Jan. 17, 1939 2,244,987 Faulkner June 10, 1941 2,364,043 AriensDec. 5, 1944 2,388,553 Kraus Nov. 6, 1945 2,438,189 Seaman Mar. 23, 19482,450,749 Clark Oct. 5, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 512,817France Oct. 23, 1920 420,542 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1934

